Since 1996, many of us associated with the Daffodil Tea and efforts to publicize the needs of St. Peter’s Chapel have been actively involved in the community-based task of converting Mare Island to civilian uses. Many, many of us have links to Mare Island. Some of our volunteers are former Shipyard workers, some are family members of former “yard birds”–sons, daughters, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Some of our volunteers are residents of Mare Island or work here or go to school here now. A good number of our volunteers live in Vallejo, American Canyon, Benicia and Napa, but some live as far away as Alamo and Rossmoor, Sacramento and even Oregon.

We have had the privilege to be associated with Arc Ecology since 1994, two years before the naval base closed. Arc Ecology is a non-profit organization specializing in assisting communities in reuse of former military properties. In addition to hosting the Daffodil Tea, Arc Ecology also hosts the San Francisco Bay Flyway Festival on Mare Island. In early February of 2009, the Flyway Festival celebrated its 13th three-day birdwatching and wildlife viewing event headquartered on Mare Island. The Festival features over 25 guided outings and tours of Mare Island’s historical and natural treasures, in addition to more than 40 more guided outings throughout San Francisco Bay. St. Peter’s Chapel is open for tours that weekend.

Arc Ecology also hosts the Lost Boats of Mare Island Memorial each October 11th, the an0.niversary of the loss at sea of the WWII submarine, the USS Wahoo. We honor the Wahoo along with 6 of her fellow submarines built at Mare Island, which now with their crews, are “on eternal patrol”. An afternoon of services to honor the boats and their crews includes a program of music and history in St. Peter’s Chapel.

Arc Ecology hosted the 150th anniversaries of the Mare Island Naval Ammunition Depot in 2007 and the Mare Island Naval Cemetery in 2008. During our annual Mare Faire held the second weekend of August in the Mare Island Shoreline Heritage Preserve, we honor the men who participated in the Port Chicago Mutiny and help to inform the public of the national tragedy that took place during WWII at what is now the Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial near Concord, California, a site managed by the National Park Service. Beginning in April 2008 Arc Ecology founded and hosts the Second Saturday Access Day at the Mare Island Shoreline Heritage Preserve, site of the former Mare Island Naval Ammunition Depot. Learn more about all of these projects of Arc Ecology by clicking on the links to our websites in the text above.